The Birthplace of Country Music

American Ballads: The Photographs of Marty Stuart special exhibit
2019-08-01 - 2020-01-31
American Ballads: The Photographs of Marty Stuart, coming soon to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum!
Dates: August 1, 2019—January 31, 2020
Although known primarily as a country music star, Marty Stuart (b. 1958) is a master storyteller not only through his songs, but also through his revealing photographs. He has been taking photographs of the people and places surrounding him since he first went on tour with bluegrass performer Lester Flatt at age 13. His inspirations include his mother, Hilda Stuart and her documentation of their family’s everyday life in Mississippi. He also admires bassist Milt Hinton’s photographs of fellow jazz artists and Edward Curtis’s well-known images of Native Americans at the turn of the 20th century. Stuart’s photographs in American Ballads range from intimate behind-the-scenes depictions of legendary musicians, to images of eccentric characters from the back roads of America, to dignified portraits of members of the Lakota tribe in South Dakota, a people he was introduced to by his former father-in-law, Johnny Cash. Whatever the subject, Stuart is able to tease out something unexpected or hidden beneath the surface through a skillful sense of timing and composition, as well as a unique relationship with the sitters often based on years of friendship and trust.
The exhibition is organized around three themes:
THE MASTERS
While touring with Lester Flatt’s band in 1974, Marty Stuart discovered bassist Milt Hinton’s candid photographs of fellow jazz musicians in a Greenwich Village bookstore. He had been exposed to the medium’s ability to portray aspects of everyday life through his mother, Hilda Stuart, a skilled photographer, and realized that he could document the country music world with the same approach that Hinton had taken with jazz. He had access to the great figures of country music through Flatt, who took him under his wing at age thirteen. As Stuart says, “Walking into the Grand Ole Opry with Lester Flatt was the equivalent of walking into the Vatican with the Pope. His endorsement gave me instant acceptance into the family of country music.” Being a trusted member of the inner circle has allowed Stuart to capture the stars in moments of unguarded intimacy and honesty.
BLUE LINE HOTSHOTS
Marty Stuart has been traveling on the road as a professional musician for over four decades. Along the way, he has been intrigued by the unique characteristics of towns he passes through, learning about the local history, architecture and music. He especially seeks out the quirky residents “who have enough Elvis in them to give America its spice.” Stuart lovingly refers to these people as “Blue Line Hotshots” because, at one time, the two lane highways and back roads of our nation were represented on maps as blue lines. Whether his subject is a devoted fan, passionate preacher, or gutsy Dolly Parton impersonator at a state fair, Stuart respects their individuality and willingness to stand out in our increasingly homogenized world.
BADLANDS
Marty Stuart first encountered the Lakota people in the early 1980s when he, as a member Johnny Cash’s band, played a benefit on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Stuart immediately felt a strong kinship with the tribe and began to make yearly pilgrimages to Pine Ridge in an effort to establish meaningful connections with its members. Twenty years later, Stuart was adopted into the tribe and given the name O YATE’ Ö CHEE YA’KA HOPSILA (the man who helps the people). As with the country music community, Stuart has gained unusual access to and the trust of the typically guarded Lakota inner circle. His photographs of both everyday life and traditional ceremonies do not romanticize the culture nor overlook the tragic conditions often found on the reservation—poverty, alcoholism, and unemployment—but rather present honest portraits of dignity, strength, and perseverance.
American Ballads: The Photographs of Marty Stuart was organized by the Frist Art Museum, Nashville, Tennessee. Special thanks to The Massengill-DeFriece Foundation for their support of the exhibit at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.
Images: Left: Marty Stuart. Miss Oglala Lakota Nation. 2012. Archival pigment print, 14 x 11 in. Courtesy of the artist. © Marty Stuart; Center: Marty Stuart. Willie Nelson. 1994. Archival pigment print, 20 x 16 in. Courtesy of the artist. © Marty Stuart; Right: Marty Stuart. Rockabilly Man. 2001. Archival pigment print, 20 x 16 in. Courtesy of the artist. © Marty Stuart

RTE 23 Music Festival
2019-08-24 17:00 - 22:00 (America/New_York)
The RTE 23 Music Festival announces lineup! The Fritz, The Golden Age, and 49 Winchester
Date: Saturday, August 24, 2019
Time: 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Location: University of Virginia’s College at Wise in Wise, VA
FREE EVENT
Presented by the Birthplace of Country Music, the RTE 23 Music Festival combines great music with the very best in local food and craft beer vendors to provide a fun, family-friendly event for the people of Southwest Virginia as part of BCM’s music outreach programming.
The RTE 23 Music Festival has its origins back in February of 2009, when The Bristol Rhythm & Roots Concert Series at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise in Wise, Virginia. UVa-Wise hosted its first show in the college’s student center. The goal then – and now – was simple: bring the best Americana bands possible to music lovers in Southwest Virginia.
Since the series began, there have been several venues in Wise that have hosted an array of outstanding musicians including St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Folk Soul Revival, The Black Lillies, Yarn, The Corduroy Road, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, The New Familiars, Dave Eggar, Amber Rubarth, and Last Train Home.
Today, the RTE 23 Music Festival has found a permanent home on the campus of UVa-Wise and invites families to take part in the celebration for free.

About The Fritz
The Fritz is a soul-driven dance rock band hailing from Asheville, NC.
The group’s aggressive approach to funk, soul, and rock creates a sound that is uniquely their own. Their high-energy, danceable songs provide a platform for each member to shine. With powerful vocals, climactic solos, and tight grooves, The Fritz has built a devoted following and is captivating audiences everywhere.
About The Golden Age
The Golden Age is Bryan Simpson and Matt Menefee, founding members of Cadillac Sky. The duo is now back making bluegrass music that is equal parts preservation and rebellion. RTE 23 will be the band’s debut performance.

About 49 Winchester
Hailing from the mountain town of Castlewood, Virginia, 49 Winchester’s roots are planted in the music of Appalachia. Equal parts country and soul with powerful vocals, hard-hitting songs, & heavy country-blues guitars. Singer & guitarist Isaac Gibson’s songs are poetically straight-forward and shine through in their live performance.
49 Winchester’s second album The Wind was released in May 2018 and their song “Anchor” is the closing track on the album 1927 Jubilee: The New Bristol Sessions alongside many other Appalachian artists including Dolly Parton, celebrating 90 years since the first fabled country music recordings in Bristol VA-TN.

1927 Society Concert Series
2019-08-24 19:00 - 20:30
The Birthplace of Country Music proudly presents an intimate 1927 Society Concert Series experience featuring music by Hank, Pattie, & The Current.
Date: Saturday, August 24, 2019
Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Tickets – Two Option

For Show and Open Bar and Heavy hors d’oeuvres – $80 plus Bristol, VA admission tax/fees (Doors Open at 6:00 p.m.)

For Show and Cash Bar – $25.00, plus Bristol,VA admission tax/fees (Doors Open at 6:30 p.m.)

BUY TICKETS
Click here to learn more about the benefits of becoming a member so that you, too, may receive first-access to to shows!

About Hank, Pattie, & The Current
Two of North Carolina’s veteran bluegrass musicians join forces with some of the Triangle area’s most versatile musicians to create modern, American, acoustic music featuring the full range of their talents as composers and arrangers.
The band makes use of traditional bluegrass instrumentation in a nontraditional way to present original music to the listener that goes beyond the limits of the idiom. The arrangements take on a new level of maturation that follows in the footsteps of Bela Fleck, Mark O’Connor, Chris Thile, Sam Bush, Edgar Meyer, and Tony Rice. Hank, Pattie & The Current want to pick up where seminal crossover groups like The Punch Brothers, Strength In Numbers and the ever changing Bluegrass Allstars call home. The music is vocal and instrumental, allowing the band to experiment with arrangements and tailor the compositions to become vehicles for exploration. Hank Smith plays banjo, Pattie Hopkins Kinlaw plays fiddle and sings. The band includes Robert Thornhill on mandolin and vocals, Billie Feather on guitar and Jonah Freedman on bass and vocals.
ABOUT THE 1927 SOCIETY CONCERT SERIES
The 1927 Society Concert Series is an intimate concert experience set in the “acoustically perfect” Performance Theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. It’s more than a night of music, it’s a very personal event with some of the most renowned roots music artists performing today. Guests are asked to arrive promptly at 6:00 p.m. to enjoy dinner (heavy hors d’oeuvres) and an open bar (ages 21+ with valid ID) before the show, included with ticket.

VMFA on the Road Artmobile at the Museum!
2019-09-18 - 2019-09-22
Event: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on the Road Artmobile at the Museum!
About: Sixty-five years after the launch of its original Artmobile, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is once again bringing traveling art exhibitions and educational offerings to audiences across the state with VMFA on the Road: An Artmobile for the 21st century! This state-of-the-art mobile museum and education studio will be at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and open to school groups,drop-in visitors, and Bristol Rhythm festivalgoers from September 18 to September 22, 2019.
Date: Wednesday, September 18 – Sunday, September 22, 2019

Wednesday, September 18–Thursday, September 19 (for school visits and drop-in visitors)
Friday, September 20–Sunday, September 22 (for Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festivalgoers)

Location: Parked on Country Music Way in front of the museum
Family Visit Guide: To download the VMFA’s Family Visit Guide, click here. Paper copies will also be available at the Artmobile.

DROP-IN VISITORS
Drop-in visitors can view the Artmobile for free on Wednesday, September 18 and Thursday, September 18, 2019.
Take an art break! Bring your friends, family, kids, grandma, or whoever you know who would enjoy a wonderful art experience and drop-in on the VMFA on the Road Artmobile at the times below. This is a FREE opportunity!

Wednesday, September 18 – 2:00–4:15pm
Thursday, September 19 – 12:45–5:00pm

School Information
School groups can visit the Artmobile on Wednesday, September 18 and Thursday, September 19, 2019. This is a FREE visit!
The VMFA on the Road Artmobile will be open to middle school, high school, and college groups on September 18–19, 2019. A field trip to the Artmobile exposes students to multiple art mediums and concepts using visual thinking, sketching, and writing. Admission is free to the Artmobile.
Several time slots are available for school group visits:
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

10:00–10:30am – BOOKED
10:40–11:10am – BOOKED
11:20–11:50am – BOOKED
12:40–1:10pm
1:20–1:50pm – BOOKED
4:30–5:00 – BOOKED

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

10:00–10:30am – BOOKED
10:40–11:10am – BOOKED
11:20–11:50am – BOOKED
12:40–1:10pm
1:20–1:50pm
If you are interested in bringing an after-school program to the Artmobile on these dates, get in touch with Rene Rodgers at rrodgers@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org to discuss possible time slots. The museum also has some funds available to help schools with transportation costs on a first come-first served basis.

Teachers can pick one of three field trip programs based on their students’ interests and needs, including activity options such as “I See, I Think, I Wonder,” “30-Second Sketch,” “Strike a Pose,” “Elaboration Game,” “Creative Comparisons,” “Contour Drawing,” “Narrative,” “Make It Move,” and “Before & After.” Details about the three field trips programs, their related activities, and the relevant teaching standards are available here. VMFA Fellowship artists who are represented in the Artmobile include Dennis Winston, Arthur Sawyers, Julien Binford, Ann Chenoweth, Nell Blaine, Benjamin Wigfall, Charles K. Sibley, Esther Worden Day, Emmet Gowin, Sally Mann, Cy Twombly, and Steven Fishman.
A tour of the Artmobile is a 30-minute experience. An optimum visit has 10–12 students (with one adult); larger groups will be divided into groups of 20 (with two adults). Teachers can also add a FREE guided tour of the museum’s special exhibit American Ballads: The Photographs of Marty Stuart (also a 30-minute experience) to your visit to the Artmobile. American Ballads is an art photography exhibit, making it a wonderful companion to the Artmobile. If you would like to also book a tour of the museum’s permanent exhibits, our usual student group admission applies.
For further information about a VMFA on the Road Artmobile experience for your students, please contact Head Curator Rene Rodgers at rrodgers@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org. To book a tour, please contact tchildress@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org, providing the following information: Date of tour, preferred time of tour, name of school, teacher’s name, grade level, size of group, and field trip tour/activities choice.
Bookings must be made by September 2, 2019.

Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Information
Festivalgoers can visit the Artmobile on Friday, September 20– Sunday, September 22, 2019
The VMFA on the Road Artmobile will be free and open to festivalgoers on September 20—22, 2019, just one more way to make your Bristol Rhythm experience even more special! It will be open at the following times:

Friday, September, 20: 1:00–7:00pm
Saturday, September 21: 9:00am–7:00pm (closed 1:00–2:00pm for lunch)
Sunday, September 22: 10:00am–5:00pm (closed 1:00–2:00pm for lunch)

PUSH! Pop-Up: Screening of The Ballad of Shirley Collins
2019-09-26 18:30 - 20:00
The Birthplace of Country Music and PUSH! Film Festival present a film screening of the documentary film The Ballad of Shirley Collins, a meditative and carefully textured piece of portraiture of one of the 20th century’s most important singers of English traditional songs.
Date: Thursday, September 26, 2019
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Performance Theater, Birthplace of Country Music Museum

Widely regarded as the 20th century’s most important singer of English traditional song, Shirley Collins is someone who was born to invoke the old songs. Alongside her sister Dolly, Shirley stood at the epicenter of the folk music revival during the 1960s and 1970s. But in 1980, in traumatic circumstances, she was robbed her of her unique singing voice and forced her into early retirement.
Counterpointing the film’s contemporary journey with a more literal one taken from the opposite end of Shirley’s life, The Ballad Of Shirley Collins also proves itself to be something of a time-travelling Transatlantic road-movie – lovingly retelling the story of her seminal 1959 ’Southern Journey’ song-collecting trip around America’s rural Deep South alongside her then-lover (and legendary ethnomusicologist) Alan Lomax. A trip that took them into neglected rural communities, both black and white, that were about to be forever changed by the burgeoning Civil Rights movement. They uncovered and documented a peerless document of traditional American music – one that would later inspire the soundtrack to the Coen Brothers’ film O Brother Where Art Thou.
Deliberately eschewing a straightforward biopic approach, Rob Curry and Tim Plester ‘Way of the Morris’, is a lyrical response to the life-and-times of a totemic musical figure. Granted intimate access to recording sessions for Shirley’s first album (Lodestar) of new recordings in almost four decades, the film also features contributions from the comedian Stewart Lee , Appalachian singer Sam Amidon, and David Tibet of Current 93.
What emerges is a meditative and carefully textured piece of portraiture. Here then is a story about one woman’s battle to rise again from long silent ashes. A film about loss and redemption. A film about sacrifice, healing and rebirth. A film which suggests that, during these turbulent and increasingly untethered times, we might just need Shirley Collins and all she represents more than ever.
The film received its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival , before being released theatrically in the UK on more than 100 screens. It played prestigious international festivals including Rotterdam and CPH:DOX, and has been released in the United States.
More than 3-and-a-half years in the making, and co-produced with Fifth Column Films and Burning Bridges The Ballad Of Shirley Collins is the first release from Fire Films; the new film arm of the revitalized Fire Records and sister label Earth Recordings.
UK 2017, 94 mins

PUSH! Film Festival
2019-10-12
Push! Film Festival is a celebration of the cinematic and visual arts in the heart of the twin cities of Bristol, TN/VA. Focused on Tennessee and Virginia productions, PUSH! spotlights films that provoke thought and spur action. By bringing diverse films to the community and showcasing the best regional filmmakers, PUSH! aims to expand the artistic image of our region, engage new audiences in the world of film, and inspire creativity in all of us.
Date: Saturday, October 12, 2019
Time: 11:00am–9:30pm
Where: Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Performance Theater and Learning Center
Now in its 5th year, PUSH! has a variety of films and related programs planned for Saturday, October 12, 2019, including screenings of juried short films focused on Tennessee and Virginia, two curated feature films, an awards ceremony and reception, and an educational and fun hands-on workshop.
This year PUSH! Film Festival received over 50 film submissions for the juried film competition, which represented several different countries. All of the shorts were either made in Virginia or Tennessee or made by a filmmaker from one of those states. These will be screened from 3:00 to 6:00pm. There will also be two feature films screened at the festival: Blaze, inspired by the life of Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas outlaw music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson, and Labyrinth, the 1986 cult classic featuring David Bowie as the Goblin King. For information about this year’s films, click here.

This year’s PUSH! workshop – InstaFilm Bristol – is sure to be a favorite. Led by Josh Mancuso, InstaFilm Bristol is a 4-hour crash course and film competition with films produced solely through Instagram Stories. This event will be held on October 12 from 11:00am to 3:00pm; it is free and open to the public (ages 13+) with an optional lunch available for $5.
Festival passes are $25 and give festivalgoers entry to the short film screenings, Blaze, and the awards ceremony and reception. To see the full lineup, the schedule of events on October 12, and to buy your tickets, visit www.pushfilmfest.com. You can also purchase tickets at the Believe in Bristol office at 20 6th Street, Bristol, Tennessee. And you can check out the festival’s online store at www.pushfilmfest.com for cool festival merchandise. Finally, a few special events are included before and during the festival, including a pop-up screening of The Ballad of Shirley Collins on September 26 at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and a photography contest at State Street Brewing Company; click here for more information.
Festival attendees should note that because seating is limited, film attendance will be based on a first-come, first-served basis at the venue. The film screenings, workshop, awards ceremony, and reception will all be held at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. Filmgoers and filmmakers can take advantage of a discounted admission to the museum of $10 (+ tax) over the PUSH! Film Festival weekend.
For questions about the film festival and related events, contact Believe in Bristol at 423-573-2201.

CLASS FULL! Digital Photography for Beginners
2019-11-02 11:00 - 14:00
Sorry, registration for this class is now closed because the class is full.
Join us for a crash course in how to use your DSLR in this 3-hour workshop at the museum!
Date: Saturday, November 2
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Tickets: $45, plus Bristol, VA admissions tax / fees
Is your digital camera still on auto mode, just like the day you took it out of the box? Whether you are brand new to photography or you have dabbled in photography for years, this 3-hour course covers topics that can help you transform your images.
Bristol-based photographer Briana Fillers will break down image exposure, shooting techniques, and camera settings; share what is in her camera bag; and provide a hands-on shooting session to apply course topics. Registration is limited to 20 individuals to ensure a quality experience. If you are ready to master your camera and start capturing images like a pro, sign up by October 29, 2019 to save your seat in the class. Interested photographers under age 16 will need a parent or guardian with them in order to participate.
This event is companion programming to our current special exhibit American Ballads: The Photographs of Marty Stuart. Workshop attendees can visit American Ballads for free on November 2, before or after the class.
About Briana Fillers
Briana has a passion for helping people create strong brands and tell authentic stories through photography and design. Since 2010, she has won over a dozen local, national, and international awards for photography, graphic design, web design, branding, writing, and marketing, in her work with many clients. In 2018, she embarked on her dream challenge – a new adventure as an entrepreneur creating content for businesses in the Tri-Cities, Appalachian Highlands, and beyond.

Historical Marker Unveiling
2019-11-22 15:00 - 16:00
Date: Friday, November 22, 2019
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: 416 State Street, Bristol, TN
(Corner of State and Martin Luther King, Blvd.)
You’re invited to join us for the unveiling of a new historical marker honoring the legacy of Jimmie Rodgers in Historic Downtown Bristol, with special guest Marty Stuart.
Jimmie Rodgers’ first recordings were captured by Ralph Peer during the legendary 1927 Bristol Sessions. This led Rodgers’ on a meteoric path to stardom, earning him status as “The Father of Country Music.”
Grammy Award-winning country music artist Marty Stuart grew up in Philadelphia, Mississippi, less than an hour away from Meridian where Rodgers was born, and cites Rodgers as an influence on his own music.
The historic marker honoring Jimmie Rodgers will be erected on the corner of State Street and Martin Luther King, Blvd. in Downtown Bristol, and was created in partnership with the Mississippi Department of Tourism and Marty Stuart.

1927 Society Concert Series
2019-11-23 19:00 - 21:00
The Birthplace of Country Music proudly presents an intimate 1927 Society Concert Series experience featuring music by Front Country.
Date: Saturday, November 23, 2019
Time: 7:00 p.m. (Doors open at 6:00 p.m.)
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Tickets:

Tier One – $80
Includes dinner, open bar
Tier Two – $25
Cash bar
Both tiers include casual meet and greet with the band.

BUY TICKETS
Click here to learn more about the benefits of becoming a member so that you, too, may receive first-access to to shows!

About Front Country
In the bluegrass world, musicians tend to define themselves by their relationships to tradition — specifically, the tradition of high-and-lonesome singing and a hard-driving sound. There are regional variations from Virginia to Colorado. The West Coast has its own freewheeling tradition, and that’s where Front Country started out: at a monthly jam in San Francisco. Then its members heard about a band contest at a bluegrass festival.
At this point, they realize it’s probably a stretch to call what they’re doing bluegrass at all. String-band pop is more like it.
ABOUT THE 1927 SOCIETY CONCERT SERIES
The 1927 Society Concert Series is an intimate concert experience set in the “acoustically perfect” Performance Theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. It’s more than a night of music, it’s a very personal event with some of the most renowned roots music artists performing today. Guests are asked to arrive promptly at 6:00 p.m. to enjoy dinner (heavy hors d’oeuvres) and an open bar (ages 21+ with valid ID) before the show, included with ticket.

SOLD OUT: An Evening with Ketch Secor & Molly Tuttle
2019-12-04 19:30 - 21:00
Sorry, tickets to this event are now sold out.
Date: Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Time: 7:30 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Location: Performance Theater, Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Join us for An Evening with Ketch Secor & Molly Tuttle, an intimate concert at the Birthplace of Country Music in Historic Downtown Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee!

About Molly Tuttle
A virtuosic, award-winning guitarist with a gift for insightful songwriting, Molly Tuttle evolves her signature sound with boundary-breaking songs on her compelling debut album, When You’re Ready.
Already crowned “Instrumentalist of the Year” at the 2018 Americana Music Awards on the strength of her EP, Tuttle has broken boundaries and garnered the respect of her peers, winning fans for her incredible flatpicking guitar technique and confessional songwriting. Graced with a clear, true voice and a keen melodic sense, the 26-year-old seems poised for a long and exciting career. When You’re Ready, produced by Ryan Hewitt (The Avett Brothers, The Lumineers) showcases her astonishing range and versatility and shows that she is more than simply an Americana artist.

About Ketch Secor
For the last twenty years, multi-instrumentalist Ketch Secor has been front man and fiddler for Old Crow Medicine Show. Described variously as alt-country, folk, and mountain music revivalists, Old Crow is an American roots string band with punk rock attitude and energy. Its earliest days stretch back to Ketch’s seventh grade year in Harrisonburg, Virginia, when he and friend Christopher “Critter” Fugua began playing music together – and its explosion onto the folk / Americana scene in the early 2000s led to a revival in banjo-driven old time music.
“All of American music comes from the same place. It’s just sort of where it ends up. And country music is one of the destinations. You have the banjo, which comes from Africa. And you have the fiddle, which comes from the British Isles and from Europe. And when they meet, they meet in the American South. And that’s the big bang.”

Mike Farris Sings! The Soul of Christmas
2019-12-06 20:00 - 21:30
The Birthplace of Country Music is proud to present a holiday concert that you won’t want to miss – Mike Farris Sings! The Soul of Christmas.
Taking a path that intertwines rock, blues and gospel that has allowed him to rediscover and reinterpret traditional gospel music and add his own mix of Stax influenced blue-eyed soul, Grammy Award-winning artist Mike Farris performs a special Christmas celebration that is sure to bring down the house and ring in the holidays on the finest of notes!
Date: Friday, December 6, 2019
Time: 8:00 p.m.
Location: Paramount Bristol
Tickets
Tickets on sale to the public beginning October 11, 2019.

Screening: A Conversation with Marty Stuart
2020-01-22 10:30 - 17:30, 2020-01-25 10:30 - 17:30
Last September, Grammy Award-winning country music star Marty Stuart paid a visit to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum during the annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival. During his visit, the artist shared stories about his work as a photographer and the images in the American Ballads: The Photographs of Marty Stuart special exhibit.
The program was entitled “A Conversation with Marty Stuart,” and we were able to capture it all on video, complete with audience Q&A.
The Museum will screen “A Conversation with Marty Stuart” in the Performance Theater hourly on Wednesday, January 22 (10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.) and Saturday, January 25 (10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.)
These screenings are free and open to the public.

Tennessee Songwriters Week Qualifying Round
2020-02-01 13:00 - 15:00
Qualifying Round: Saturday, February 1, 2020
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Tickets: $15 (For spectators. Songwriters register below at no fee.)
BUY TICKETS
The Birthplace of Country Music is excited to partner with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development to be a venue for qualifying rounds leading up to the 2nd annual Tennessee Songwriters Week February 23-29, 2020.
The museum, along with other venues across the state of Tennessee, will sign up local talent to compete. Top songwriters from the official qualifying rounds will perform during one of the six Tennessee Songwriters Week showcases. Finalists from the showcases get the opportunity to share their original songs on the historic stage at The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville.
Instructions for qualifying submissions
Songwriters are asked to complete full registration form, which includes submitting lyrics and YouTube video link to one song. The song submission must be written and performed by the artist registered for the contest.
Deadline for SUBMISSIONS HAS NOW PASSED
Songs will be evaluated and scored on a numerical scale considering both the song and the performance. Judges look at originality, vocal and/or instrumental talent and the ability to create an emotional connection with the audience.
Twenty (20) finalists will be chosen to perform their song live for the judges during qualifying at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum on Saturday, February 1, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. where one winner will be chosen. Finalists will be announced by January 17, 2020.
The winner will move on to perform one of the six Tennessee Songwriters Week showcases in the following locations:

Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020 – Puckett’s in Franklin
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020 – Lafayette’s Music Room in Memphis
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020 – The Bijou in Knoxville
Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020 – Songbirds Guitar Museum in Chattanooga
Friday, Feb. 28, 2020 – Ole Red in Gatlinburg
Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 – The Down Home in Johnson City

Finalists from the showcases get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share their original songs on the historic stage at The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. The Bluebird Cafe’s long-time open mic night host and songwriter Barbara Cloyd will serve as emcee at the showcases, and a panel of local judges will select the top songwriter from each event. Six total finalists (1 from each showcase event) will receive a prize pack and perform their original material during the finale event at The Bluebird Cafe on Sunday, March 29, 2020.
Songs will be evaluated and scored on a numerical scale considering both the song and the performance. Judges look at originality, vocal and/or instrumental talent and the ability to create an emotional connection to the audience.
For more information and ongoing updates, visit tennesseesongwritersweek.com. Join the conversation on social using #TNsongwritersweek.

Museum Volunteer Training
2020-02-24 14:00 - 17:00
Date: Monday, February 24, 2020
Time: 2:00—5:00p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
We need YOU as a museum volunteer!
Museum volunteers are needed to assist in the galleries on a daily basis, help in archives and collections, provide curatorial research and exhibit assistance, support special events and exhibit programming, assist in The Museum Store, and act as docents for guided adult and school tours. Training is provided at one 3-hour session that provides a detailed introduction to the museum and the volunteer program, including a chance for you to pinpoint your area of interest and learn more about the ins-and-outs of being a museum volunteer.
We will be holding our next volunteer training session on Monday, February 24, 2:00—5:00p.m. As a volunteer, you will also have many opportunities for continuing learning and training at the museum. Most of all, you will have fun as part of the volunteer team!
For more information on becoming a museum volunteer and to register your interest in these training sessions, contact us by email at volunteercoordinator@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org or by phone at 423-573-1927.

Special Exhibit: Real Folk
2020-03-06 - 2020-08-30
Real Folk: Passing on Trades & Traditions through the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program EXTENDED THROUGH AUGUST!
VIRTUAL TOUR & ACTIVITIES
Since 2002, the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program at Virginia Humanities has brought together over 150 experienced master artists and eager apprentices, ensuring various art forms are passed on in ways that are conscious of history and faithful to tradition. All forms of Virginia’s expressive culture – from the Appalachian hills and the Chesapeake shore to new immigrant traditions brought to the state – are represented, including letterpress printing, mandolin making, African-American gospel singing, quilting, old-time banjo playing, Mexican folk dancing, classical Iranian and Persian music, broom making, and more. The master artists comprise some of Virginia’s most celebrated practitioners of folk traditions both old and new to Virginia, and the apprentices learn their chosen craft not in classrooms or lecture halls, but in their traditional contexts, such as local dance halls, churches, woodshops, stables, and garages – making the passing on of these crafts even more meaningful.
Real Folk: Passing on Trades & Traditions through the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program gives viewers an inside look at these traditions and the people who are keeping them alive, helping to ensure that Virginia’s treasured folkways remain in good keeping for years to come.
This exhibit, on display at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum March 6—August 30, 2020, was produced through a partnership between the museum and the Virginia Folklife Program.
A variety of complementary programs will be offered to go along with Real Folk; keep an eye on our events page to learn more.
Click here to view an inside look at the exhibit and download Real Folk activity sheets.

Poster Exhibits: Centennial of American Women's Suffrage
2020-08-25 - 2021-03-31
What: Special poster exhibits honoring the centennial of American women’s suffrage
When: August 25, 2020 – March 31, 2021
Where: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is marking the centennial of women’s suffrage in the United States with two poster exhibits: Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence (Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service) and To Make Our Voices Heard: Tennessee Women’s Fight for the Vote (Tennessee State Museum). Both exhibits are a wonderful way to learn about and celebrate this historic milestone in our nation’s history, and they come with a variety of learning resources for families, teachers and students, and interested visitors (see below).

Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence
The story of women’s suffrage is a story of voting rights, of inclusion in and exclusion from the franchise, and of our civic development as a nation. Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and explores the complexity of the women’s suffrage movement and the relevance of this history to Americans’ lives today.
The crusade for women’s suffrage is one of the longest reform movements in American history. Between 1832 and 1920, women citizens organized for the right to vote, agitating first in their states or territories and then, simultaneously, through petitioning for a federal amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Based on the National Portrait Gallery exhibition of the same name, Votes for Women seeks to expand visitors’ understanding of the suffrage movement in the United States. The poster exhibition addresses women’s political activism, explores the racism that challenged universal suffrage, and documents the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment which prohibits the government from denying U.S. citizens the right to vote on the basis of sex. It also touches upon the suffrage movement’s relevance to current conversations on voting and voting rights across America.
Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery. This project received support from the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative. The Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative, Because of Her Story is one of the country’s most ambitious undertakings to research, collect, document display and share the compelling story of women. It will deepen our understanding of women’s contributions to the nation and the world. More information about the initiative is available at womenshistory.si.edu.
The image used in the header graphic is Equality Is the Sacred Law of Humanity, c. 1903–1915; Lithograph by Egbert C. Jacobson Courtesy of Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University

To Make Our Voices Heard: Tennessee Women’s Fight for the Vote
To Make Our Voices Heard: Tennessee Women’s Fight for the Vote, a new traveling exhibition created by the Tennessee State Museum and the Tennessee State Library and Archives, explores the history of the woman’s suffrage movement, Tennessee’s dramatic vote to ratify the 19th Amendment in 1920, and the years that followed.
The exhibition offers a touch-free experience of archival images, engaging stories, and introductions to the leaders of the fight for and against the cause of woman’s suffrage. The stories begin by detailing the early challenges of racial and gender discrimination and continuing to the organization of African American and white women’s associations to encourage political engagement. Visitors will also learn about Febb Burn of McMinn County, whose letter to her son, Harry T. Burn, resulted in a last-minute vote that helped change women’s history in the United States forever. The exhibit includes a Tennessee map, highlighting suffragist activities across the state.
To Make Our Voices Heard: Tennessee Women’s Fight for the Vote was organized by the Tennessee State Library and Archives and the Tennessee State Museum with funding provided by The Official Committee of the State of Tennessee Women’s Suffrage Centennial. This project was also funded in part by a grant from Humanities Tennessee, an independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Calling All Local and Amateur Historians!
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is also hoping to create a small display about women’s suffrage in our region. Do you have any photographs, articles, ephemera, etc. related to women’s right to the vote or their exercise of that right – past or present – in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee? If so, please get in touch with Head Curator Rene Rodgers at rrodgers@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org.

Educational Resources
Many of the Smithsonian’s museums and other educational institutions have developed materials to commemorate the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, and to broaden our understanding of U.S. history through the stories of women. The Tennessee State Museum has also created a website devoted to providing educational content focused on women’s suffrage.
Please click on the link below to view the educational resources for these poster exhibits.
Click Here for Educational Resources

The Legacy of the Green Book: A Smithsonian Virtual Event
2020-10-15 19:00 - 20:00
Join Smithsonian Affiliations, the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, and author, photographer, and cultural documentarian Candacy Taylor to explore the legacy of the Green Book, its impact on communities, businesses, and families, and its relevance today.
Date: Thursday, October 15, 2020
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Location: Online Event
FREE EVENT
REGISTER HERE
In 1936, Victor Hugo Green, a Harlem postman, began publishing a guide for African American travelers to offer travel options during America’s Jim Crow era. The Green Book, as it was known, was a sustained success—for almost thirty years—providing Black travelers information on hotels, restaurants, service stations, and other facilities where they could expect welcome “without humiliation.” There were several Green Book sites in Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia, including the Arthur D. Henderson Tourist Home (301 McDowell Street, Bristol, TN, 1938-1963/64, demolished); Morocco Tavern, 800 Spencer Street, Bristol, VA, 1954-1955, demolished); Morocco Hotel & Grill, 1200 Moore Street, Bristol, VA, 1957-1963/64, demolished); Mrs. Margaret C. Brown Tourist Home, 225 McDowell Street, Bristol, TN, 1954-1963/64; and Palace Hotel, 201 Front Street, Bristol, VA, 1947, demolished).
This virtual event is free and open to the public, but you do need to register in order to get access.
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is a Smithsonian Affilate, which allows us to share interesting and educational programming like “The Legacy of the Green Book” with our community and wider audiences. Keep an eye out for future virtual Smithsonian programs!

Spread Love, Not Covid Holiday Concert w/ Folk Soul Revival
2020-12-11 19:00 - 20:30
Spread Love, Not COVID Virtual Holiday Concert with Folk Soul Revival
Date: Friday, December 11, 2020
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Location: Discover Bristol Facebook Live
Discover Bristol and Birthplace of Country Music are teaming up for a virtual holiday concert experience with one of the region’s most beloved acts. Spread Love, Not COVID Virtual Holiday Concert with Folk Soul Revival is a free online event, streaming live from the Performance Theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

About Folk Soul Revival
A modern band rooted in old-school southern sounds, Folk Soul Revival was formed in Southwest Virginia in 2008. The quintet has spent a decade growing a wide audience both here at home – where they’ve become a regular presence at local institutions like Bristol Rhythm, The Carter Family Fold, and Floydfest – and on the road, sharing shows with the late Dr. Ralph Stanley, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jason Isbell, Eric Church, and others. Logging roughly 100 performances a year, the road home always leads back to Bristol, the group’s birthplace, home, and muse. With songs about blue collar jobs, long work weeks, messy breakups, and richly-deserved weekends, Folk Soul Revival sources its material from everyday lives of rural Americans. The music is biographical, and while the stories may be specific to Folk Soul Revival, they’ll sound familiar to anyone who hails from the country’s forgotten pockets.

Virtual Speaker Series – Food Matters: Exploring History Through Food
2021-01-12 19:00 - 20:30
Date: Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Time: 7:00pm
Location: Zoom (free but registration required)
Join Paula Johnson, Food History Curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, and Rene Rodgers, Head Curator at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, on Tuesday, January 12, 7:00pm for a conversation about the power of food as a lens for exploring history. We’ll hear about the National Museum of American History’s robust food history offerings, from Julia Child’s home kitchen to programs on food justice to live cooking demonstrations that feature chefs, home cooks, and recipes from regional cuisines across the country. Find out how what’s on your plate relates to many strands of economic, political, technological, and social history!
This is the first in the museum’s Virtual Speaker Series, and January’s program is part of a partnership with the Smithsonian’s American Women’s History Initiative. Future speakers include Bailey George talking about honky tonk women (February 2), part of our complementary programming to go along with our current special exhibit Honky Tonk: Portraits of Country Music, 1972–1981, and Alona Norwood and William Isom III from Black in Appalachia talking about the work to record and amplify Black history and stories from the Appalachian region (March 2).
“Food Matters: Exploring History Through Food” is free and open to the public, but please register to attend below. Donations are welcome and help to support free and low-cost museum programming.
Registration Here
DONATE HERE

Virtual Museum Volunteer Training
2021-02-01 15:30 - 17:00
Learn more about becoming a volunteer for the Birthplace of Country Music Museum!
Date: Monday, February 1, 2021
Time: 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location: Online via Zoom
Volunteers are needed to assist in the galleries on a daily basis, help in archives and collections, provide curatorial research and exhibit assistance, support special events, assist in The Museum Store, and act as docents for guided adult and school tours at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. If you’ve got a passion for Bristol’s rich music heritage and want to help, we’d love to meet you at our virtual volunteer training session on Monday, February 1 from 3:30 to 5:00pm.
This training – delivered by Zoom – will give you an introduction to the museum and the volunteer program, along with details about how we are providing a safe environment for our staff, volunteers, and visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic and the volunteer opportunities that are available at this time and in the future. As a volunteer, you will also have many opportunities for continuing learning and training down the line. For more information on becoming a museum volunteer, contact us at 423-573-1927 or email volunteercoordinator@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org.

Virtual Speaker Series – Before Coal Miner's Daughters and Many-Colored Coats: Pioneering Women in Country Music
2021-02-02 19:00 - 20:30
Date: Tuesday, February 2, 2021

Time: 7:00pm
Location: Zoom (free but registration required)
Join us on Tuesday, February 2 for a fascinating talk by Bailey George about the women who made their mark in early country music. Traditionally the role and widespread recognition of women in country music has been relegated to a handful of “superstars” who rose to fame in the 1960s and 1970s. But female country artists have been making recordings since the beginnings of country music recording. The impact of these pioneering artists has been somewhat overshadowed by flashier, pop-oriented female artists in recent years, but without these trailblazing recordings, the country music industry as we know it would not exist. With this talk, Bailey George will take a look at some of the forgotten female artists, musicians, writers, and performers from days long before there were coal miner’s daughters or many-colored coats.
Bailey George has been collecting and researching vintage music since he was 11 years old. He is the host of the popular Honky Tonk Hit Parade on Radio Bristol, playing country music from the 1940s and 1950s every Wednesday, 3:00–5:00pm. In addition to his archival work and his time on-air, Bailey also performs in a duo with Jessica Stiles as “Bailey George and Jukebox Jess.”
“Before Coal Miner’s Daughters and Multi-Colored Coats: Pioneering Women in Country Music” is free and open to the public, but please register to attend below. Donations are welcome and help to support free and low-cost museum programming.
REGISTER HERE
DONATE HERE

Virtual Speaker Series - Black in Appalachia: Uncovering & Sharing Regional Black Narratives
2021-03-02 19:00 - 20:30
DATE: TUESDAY, March 2, 2021

TIME: 7:00PM
LOCATION: ZOOM (FREE BUT REGISTRATION REQUIRED)
Join Black in Appalachia’s Alona Norwood and William Isom on Tuesday, March 2, 7:00pm when they will discuss the public history research and educational components developed in Northeastern Tennessee in their work to uncover and share the Black stories and histories of our region. From school records and community partnerships to racial atrocities, Norwood and Isom will also share the tools, methods and obstacles to making our region’s Black narratives more accessible.
Black in Appalachia works to highlight the history of African-Americans in the development of our region and its culture. Through research, local narratives, public engagement, and exhibition, this project aims to raise the visibility and contributions of the Black communities of the Mountain South. This project is a community service for Appalachian residents and families with roots in and through the region.
Alona Norwood is a graduate of Berea College and a native of Elizabethton, Tennessee. She has been working to research the history of Black schools in her hometown and in Eastern Kentucky.
William Isom II is the director of the Black in Appalachia project. He coordinates the project’s research, community database development, documentary film and photography production, oral history collection, and educational events with residents.
“Black in Appalachia: Uncovering & Sharing Regional Black Stories” is free and open to the public, but please register to attend below. Donations are welcome and help to support free and low-cost museum programming.
Register Here
Donate Here

Virtual Speaker Series: A Brief Tour of Virginia’s Cultural Festivals
2021-05-04 19:00 - 20:30
Date: Tuesday, May 4, 2021
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Location: Zoom (Free, but registration is required)
Join our Virtual Speaker Series on Tuesday, May 4 at 7:00 p.m. when we will be hearing from Pat Jarrett, Interim Director of the Virginia Folklife Program, with “A Brief Tour of Virginia’s Cultural Festivals.”
For its entire existence, the Virginia Folklife Program has documented folklife activities, filmed musicians and festivals, and recorded traditional artists all across the Commonwealth. Many of these recordings have remained on physical tapes since the time they were recorded. It’s only in the last 10 years that they’ve started to digitize and preserve these recordings, making them publicly available whenever possible on their YouTube channel. For as many hours as there are publicly accessible recordings, there are still big piles of tapes on their shelves. During this time of lockdown when many have been missing public events, live music, and festivals, the Virginia Folklife Program staff have been bringing these tapes online and premiering them digitally. With this Virtual Speaker Series, Pat Jarrett will be sharing some recordings of festivals never before seen and talking about these hidden gems with Dr. Rene Rodgers.
Pat Jarrett is a photographer and filmmaker who has been working for the Virginia Folklife Program at Virginia Humanities for the last decade.
* “A Brief Tour of Virginia’s Cultural Festivals” is free and open to the public, but please register to attend below. Donations are welcome and help to support free and low-cost museum programming.
REGISTER HERE

Virtual Speaker Series: Filmmaker Beth Harrington Presents a Screening and Discussion of "The Musicianer"
2021-06-01 19:00 - 20:45
Date: Tuesday, June 1
Time: 7:00 p. m. EDT
Location: Zoom (free but registration required)
Join us on Tuesday, June 1, at 7:00pm EST for a screening of filmmaker Beth Harrington’s new short film (22 minutes), The Musicianer, followed by a discussion with Beth and music from Petunia, the lead actor/musician. This fictional film – Beth calls it “Supernatural Americana” – is based around a yodeling hillbilly singer from the 1920s who finds himself immortal, playing his music down the years and intersecting with some present-day musicologists. One of Beth’s most well-known films is The Winding Stream: The Carters, the Cashes, and the Course of Country Music, and a lot of the research that went into this Carter Family film found its way into The Musicianer, especially the history of the early recording industry, talking pictures, etc. Beth will share the story behind the making of the film, how it intersects with the work she did on The Winding Stream, and much more!
The Musicianer has been part of numerous film festivals as an official selection, and it has won several awards, including Best Short at Rails to Reel in Meridian, Mississippi (Jimmie Rodgers’ hometown!), Best Music Film at the Franklin International Indie Film Festival, and Winner at the Director’s Cut International Film Festival.
* “Beth Harrington Presents a Screening and Discussion of The Musicianer” is free and open to the public, but please register to attend below. Donations are welcome and help to support free and low-cost museum programming.
REGISTER HERE
DONATE HERE
Beth Harrington
Beth Harrington is an independent producer, director and writer, whose fervor for American history, music and culture has led to a series of award-winning and critically acclaimed films.
Whether exploring the aftermath of the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, chronicling the history of the Aleutian Islands or drinking up the world of craft beer brewing, Beth seamlessly straddles the line between objective journalistic integrity and a passion for every subject. As a result, her films are both thought provoking and heartfelt.
Beth’s most recent works, The Winding Stream – The Carters, The Cashes and The Course of Country Music and the Grammy-nominated Welcome to the Club – The Women of Rockabilly, reflect her long-standing love of music. A rock-and-roll singer and guitarist, she is most noted for her years as a member of Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers on the Warner Bros. Sire Records label.
Petunia
Petunia is more than just an entertainer, he’s a modern musical enigma. Imagine that David Lynch and Nick Cave had a hillbilly baby, that yodeled…or Tom Waits meets Elvis at Woody Guthrie’s hobo junction. This is just one way of describing the man known simply as Petunia. He’s an adventure seeker, a poker player, and a mysterious stranger. He’s been referred to as “The Savior of Country Music”, and a man who exists in a different era, bringing the past forth as something new to be celebrated and not forgotten.
Petunia grew up in rural Quebec, in exactly the sort of surroundings that a country musician would find idyllic, with old dilapidated barns, secret forts, and acres of unspoiled land. As an adult, the wandering spirit took a firm hold on his life, so he set out on the road, playing every major street corner across Canada and throughout the NYC subway system, before graduating to full-fledged touring musician. When he’s not on the road playing shows, Petunia is also involved in the theatre world: building side projects, writing scores, acting, or collaborating with theatre artists. Petunia & The Vipers played Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion in 2017.

Road to Bristol Rhythm Concert Series ft. Morgan Wade
2021-06-19 19:00 - 20:30
Morgan Wade to headline the Road to Bristol Rhythm Concert Series in June!
Date: June 19, 2021
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Location: The Lawn at The Sessions Hotel
Tickets: $25
PURCHASE TICKETS
The Birthplace of Country Music (BCM) is making up for lost time and ramping up the excitement for its annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival with a monthly outdoor concert series starting in June.
The Road to Bristol Rhythm Concert Series, sponsored by Virginia is for Music Lovers, will offer music lovers a taste of what they’ve been missing during the pandemic, with elements of the September festival’s best features – great live music by premiere talent set in a glorious, outdoor location in Historic Downtown Bristol. Musical guests headlining the Road to Bristol Rhythm Concert Series are also slated to perform at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion this September, offering a preview of what’s in store at our 20th anniversary celebration late summer!

About Morgan Wade
Produced by Sadler Vaden – Jason Isbell’s longtime guitarist and an acclaimed solo artist in his own right – Morgan Wade is among our region’s ascending singer-songwriters, one who is fast emerging on a national level. The Floyd, Virginia native’s latest release Reckless is a country-rock truth-teller, bleeding with longing, intimacy and achingly conveyed in Wade’s signature, evocative tonality. The recording is receiving rave reviews from the likes of Rolling Stone and American Songwriter, among others.

Road to Bristol Rhythm Concert Series ft. Jim Lauderdale
2021-07-17 19:00 - 20:30
Jim Lauderdale to headline the Road to Bristol Rhythm Concert Series in July!
Date: July 17, 2021
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Location: The Lawn at The Sessions Hotel
Tickets: $25
TICKETS ON SALE MAY 17
The Birthplace of Country Music (BCM) is making up for lost time and ramping up the excitement for its annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival with a monthly outdoor concert series starting in June.
The Road to Bristol Rhythm Concert Series, sponsored by Virginia is for Music Lovers, will offer music lovers a taste of what they’ve been missing during the pandemic, with elements of the September festival’s best features – great live music by premiere talent set in a glorious, outdoor location in Historic Downtown Bristol. Musical guests headlining the Road to Bristol Rhythm Concert Series are also slated to perform at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion this September, offering a preview of what’s in store at our 20th anniversary celebration late summer!

About Jim Lauderdale
The Grammy Award-winning Jim Lauderdale is the undisputed rhinestone-studded King of Americana, having worked with just about everybody who’s anybody in Nashville over the course of his distinguished, decades-long career. His songs have sold millions of records for the likes of George Strait, Patty Loveless, Lee Ann Womack, Blake Shelton, and Vince Gill, among others, and artists from Willie Nelson to John Oates line up to collaborate with the iconic songwriter. Jim is also a big fan and supporter of Bristol and its music heritage, and often takes time to promote the efforts of the Birthplace of Country Music.

1927 Society Concert with Darrell Scott
2021-07-24 19:00 - 20:30 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
The Birthplace of Country Music proudly presents an intimate 1927 Society Concert Series experience featuring music by Darrell Scott.
Date: Saturday, July 24, 2021

Time: 7:00 p.m. (Doors open at 6:00 p.m.)
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Tickets: $100 plus Bristol, VA admission tax/fees
PURCHASE TICKETS
About the 1927 Society Shows
The 1927 Society Concert Series is an intimate concert experience set in the “acoustically perfect” Performance Theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. It’s more than a night of music, it’s a very personal event with some of the most renowned roots music artists performing today.
Guests are asked to arrive promptly at 6:00 p.m. to enjoy a reception with heavy hors d’oeuvres and an open bar (ages 21+ with valid ID) before the show, included with a ticket.
Click here to learn more about the benefits of becoming a member so that you, too, may receive first-access to to shows!

About Darrell Scott

Darrell Scott is a Grammy-nominated performer and recording artist, a highly demanded multi-instrumentalist (he plays 13 instruments!), and an ASCAP songwriter of the year. Darrell delivers his soulful performances in solo, duo, trio, band, and string quintet configurations, all equally dynamic and powerful.
For more information about Darrell Scott visit www.DarrellScott.com.

Road to Bristol Rhythm Concert Series ft. Amythyst Kiah
2021-08-07 19:00 - 20:30
Amythyst Kiah to headline the Road to Bristol Rhythm Concert Series in August!
Date: August 7, 2021
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Location: The Lawn at The Sessions Hotel
Tickets: $25
TICKETS ON SALE MAY 17
The Birthplace of Country Music (BCM) is making up for lost time and ramping up the excitement for its annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival with a monthly outdoor concert series starting in June.
The Road to Bristol Rhythm Concert Series, sponsored by Virginia is for Music Lovers, will offer music lovers a taste of what they’ve been missing during the pandemic, with elements of the September festival’s best features – great live music by premiere talent set in a glorious, outdoor location in Historic Downtown Bristol. Musical guests headlining the Road to Bristol Rhythm Concert Series are also slated to perform at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion this September, offering a preview of what’s in store at our 20th anniversary celebration late summer!

About Amythyst Kiah
Though Amythyst Kiah is a Chattanooga native, Johnson City and Bristol have long claimed her as their own since she moved here as a teen to attend East Tennessee State University. During her time there, she was deeply influenced by her studies at the institution’s Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music program, and developed a deep reverence and love for old-time and roots music. Amythyst also interned at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, aiding in research efforts prior to opening. Since then she has taken her Southern gothic sound to the world stage, having toured internationally and been honored with a Grammy nomination for her song “Black Myself.” With a recent guest spot on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and a new album, Wary + Strange, due out this summer, there is little doubt that her upward trajectory is well-deserved and isn’t likely to slow down any time soon.

1927 Society Concert ft. Paul Thorn Band - SOLD OUT!
2021-08-14 19:00 - 20:30 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Unfortunately, tickets to this concert are now SOLD OUT.
Date: Saturday, August 14, 2021

Time: 7:00 p.m. (Doors open at 6:00 p.m.)
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
About the 1927 Society Shows
The 1927 Society Concert Series is an intimate concert experience set in the “acoustically perfect” Performance Theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. It’s more than a night of music, it’s a very personal event with some of the most renowned roots music artists performing today.
Guests are asked to arrive promptly at 6:00 p.m. to enjoy a reception with heavy hors d’oeuvres and an open bar (ages 21+ with valid ID) before the show, included with a ticket.
Click here to learn more about the benefits of becoming a member so that you, too, may receive first-access to to shows!

About Paul Thorn
Raised in Tupelo, Mississippi, Paul Thorn has rambled down back roads, battled four-time world champion boxer Roberto Duran on national television, signed with and been dropped by a major label, performed on stages with Bonnie Raitt, Mark Knopfler, Sting, and John Prine among many others, and made some of the most emotionally restless yet relatable music of our time.
For more information about Paul Thorn Band visit www.paulthorn.com/
